Happy Easter Folks

Considering it's good friday, I thought this would be appropriate to post. Impacting & definitely worth a watch.   

It's real ~Faith Journey~

My faith has risen after a weekend like that!

Our school went out on a 27hr faith journey with our outreach teams. At 3pm Friday afternoon it all began! Nothing but the clothes on our backs, a phone for emergencies and ten dollars to bless someone else with.  Before my team left campus we prayed to see which direction to go and we felt God say North so off we went on our journey heading north.  When we originally found out about the faith journey we all felt as though we were to go to the airport & the airport was north! We managed to get picked up after hitchhiking for only about three minutes who took us closer to the highway. We made our way to the highway that takes us to the airport in the hopes that we would soon get picked up again as the airport is about a twenty minute drive away from campus, which would have not been ideal to walk. We came to a set of lights during peak hour and a lady yells out to us asking where we were heading, we quickly replied saying the airport. In shock she said "Wait there, I'll turn around and come pick you up." And so it goes, ten minutes later she was there to pick us up and drove us all the way to the airport. Bless her soul as we were driving she was yelling out the window to us asking what time our flight was! When we arrived at the airport we jumped out and told her what we were doing. In fact we didn't have a flight but we were on a faith journey etc, we asked if there was anything we could pray for, if she was in any pain at all. She replied saying "No thank you, I'm one of the few oldies that are healthy and have a good life. But I feel really honoured and blessed the fact i could bring you all the way here." So on we went walking around the airport praying seeing what to do next. We chatted to a few people, and a group of staff that provided us with free drink and granola bars! They asked if we would remember them and pray for them. We did try get free return flights off the island but God obviously didn't want that to happen as we didn't get any. So off we went making our way back to the highway to continue north. We quickly got picked up again by a mission builder form campus who has picked up another one of our teams, so we joined them on the trip further north. 

The place we got dropped off was insane! It was probably the most wealthiest area on this island! We walked around the shopping area chatting and praying for people. A girl in my group Vivianna managed to get free Starbucks, pizza & coke! So TJ and i decided we would try get some free food but failed miserably. But that was okay because little did we know God had better plans for us. It became dark, unaware of what the time was as we all took our watched off. So we decided to go to the beach to have some time of prayer and worship to thank the Lord of how he provided for us already. Till the girls all needed to use the bathroom so we went up to the restaurant that was on the beach. We then got talking to a man standing outside the kitchen, told him what we were doing and he quickly said "OH! so you want some food?" He comes out with a paper back with two fresh loafs of homemade bread and  fresh hummus! I literally thought I was in heaven. He also told us we could sleep in these shelters along the beach if we didn't find anywhere to sleep. We thought we were sussed for the night, got free dinner and a place to stay. We were happy campers. But yet again that wasn't good enough for God. 

We carried on walking around only to find ourselves walking up a driveway to a very flash resort. So we thought obviously the only logical solution was to walk around the resort and see what happens. Long story short we decided to go up to the reception to see if we could get a free room. YES! We did! We got a free room in the wait for it.... HILTON RESORT in Hawaii! seriously how does that happen. Me being my emotional self start crying in amazement of what just happened, but still that wasn't enough for God. A lady came up to us after we got our key and handed us five pieces of paper saying "Here is five complimentary buffet breakfasts for the morning, enjoy." And might i add, was the best breakfast I have probably ever experienced in my life! 

After journeying around the resort we made our way back to the highway again where on the way we bumped into another team of ours who had just stayed the night with a millionaire and got taken our for dinner and breakfast! 

When we reached the highway we were praying to see if we were to continue north or head back towards Kona. We felt to continue north. And just to add, i didn't take my glasses with me cause i was believing for healing of my eyes. So at this stage my eyes were very sore and a lot more blurrier than usual. As we started to hitchhike i looked towards the ground and saw an iPhone case, which i was real stoked about cause i needed i new one. Only to find there was still a phone in it! As soon as I picked it up, a message came through reading 'This is a lost phone, if found call this number..' Fortunately we did have a phone so TJ called the number. Twenty minutes later the lady came to pick the phone up, and us! She gave us a ride further north with her. We get to a small town where she then says "Alright I'm buying you lunch to say thank you!" Little did we know this was the start of a friendship that potentially will last a lifetime. We got talking for the afternoon to only find that she was also a christian so she said we had to go to church with her the next day! She gave us a ride all the way back to Kona which was over an hour away at this stage which was such a blessing as we didn't know how we were to get back and had to be back by five. Which we were! 

It was amazing meeting up with the other teams to hear how their faith journey's went and how God provided. But for us our faith journey wasn't over. 

Sunday morning Diane picked us up for church as she said she would and took us south this time. We arrive with welcoming hugs and kisses of Fijians. And we all know how much i love Fijians! So i was in my element. The service was incredible, the pastor himself was a ywamer from way back and funny enough he spoke about his faith journey he went on when he was doing his DTS. We were all sitting there in amazement of how the weekend had turned out. But still it wasn't over. After church they all welcomed us to have lunch with everyone, so much food, so many happy bellies.  After church Diane took us to see more of the island which was amazing as we had never been that far south before. 

The next week we went to church again when at the end the pastor prayed us out as it's only a few days till outreach! He quickly said "When you get back, you must come here again. You'll be the ones speaking to the church, sharing your testimonies!" He said as a church they will be praying for us and said we can contact him if we ever need anything. We all felt as though we were part of the church family.

God is our provider, He has our very needs at thought and knows exactly what we need and more! We never went without and were able to be blessed as we blessed those around us. 

Go to God in times of trial, He is your comforter and provider. He is all you need!

I will post photo's from the faith journey when I get them, but for now here's a video!

God Bless

KEEP STEPPING FORWARD 

That Name // Those Three Words

He shed his own blood to forgive our sins, but yet you deny Him. 

He conquered death, but yet you deny Him.

He wears the holes in his wrists where he was nailed to the cross, but yet you still deny Him.

How selfish of me to have lived my life totally unaware of the true sacrifice it was.

That I might one day have a burning desire to serve Him and fall madly in love with Him.

He gave up His life, and suffered only the worst pain possible.

 He chose to give up His own life so that we may have ours.

He washed us clean from our sins.

He pursued us in the hopes that we would one day pursue Him.

Oh what it means, what it truly means!

How He really loves us!

How deeply He longs for us!

That one day we would have the revelation of what it really meant..

The day Jesus said those three words..

IT IS FINISHED

Week #3 - The Radical Call & The Cost.

The spirit of the Sovereign Lord is upon me. For He has anointed me.

- Isaiah Sixty One

To start the week our incredible speaker quickly told us that 'satan hates you.' It says in

John Ten v Ten

The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy...

But through Christ we may be made secure in Him as it continues to say

I have come that you may have life, and have it to the fullest. 

God is on our side! So that we may win at life.

Its interesting, often Christians try so hard not to sin in their lives that they only find themselves sinning even more. To be more like Jesus focus more on Him, not sin. We are called to do things during our time on earth, not just to not sin.

There are only two types of people on earth:

Forgiven or not.

It's simple.

Do you want to be that person, doing the radical things for God, or the one sitting on the sideline talking about the ones that do it? Sometimes we judge Gods unpredictability with untrustworthy. In a sense, God is like a bouncy ball. You don't know what's going to happen, where it's going to bounce to next. Its unpredictable. God will not become more predictable just for our need for comfort. He doesn't have room in His heart to make sure we feel warm and fuzzy. He will not compromise His plans for us to make sure we're comfortable. He never promised it'll be easy, He promised it would be worth it. You won't find out what God really has planned for you unless you say YES! It's true, there is always a chance that bad stuff could happen, but that's life! Do you want the radical life or the boring life? I say take the unpredictable plans. I think my story is a classic example of this. Now it's only radical if that's what God has asked you to do. You can't judge others obedience and no one gets to define your level of obedience. We all know the saying W.W.J.D - What would Jesus do.. It's all well and good saying that, but we know what Jesus would do. Are we willing to do the same? Just remember it's ordinary people who do the radical things. You don't have to have a certain qualification or a certain sense of humor. All you need to do it say yes.

Brother and sisters, think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things-and the things that are not-to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-that is, righteousness, holiness and redemption. Therefore, as it is written; "Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."

- First Corinthians One v Twenty Six - Thirty One.

Believing is cheap, Following is amazing! God asked us to follow Him, not just believe in Him. There is a difference.

It's not free to live like this. But you will be blessed with a life of joy and excitement. If your willing to commit your life, you will see radical things! Everything submitted to Gods plans and its up to Him what He gives you back. God said he will give you an abundant life, trust in Him. God never breaks His promises. Follow Him and you will have life and life to the fullest.

God Bless

KEEP STEPPING FORWARD